Entering the Reign: simple but not easy!

WORD 2day: Monday, 8th week in Ordinary time

February 28, 2022: 1 Peter 1: 3-9; Mark 10: 17-27

Peter speaks today about the promises of God which makes our salvation so certain - it is enough that we believe in Jesus the Son of God and place our trust in his mediation, we are certain to be saved! Yes, it is so simple to enter the Reign of God... but not easy! 

That which renders the simple task so difficult, is not so much the nature of the task itself as our attachment to those which are so unnecessary and ephemeral. Yes, the life task we have, that is to enter the Reign that is prepared for us from eternity, is so simple. From our very creation and the grace of baptism we are chosen and appointed for that great promise. But what happens in the course of our life, is what changes the prospects.

Rolling stones gather no moss, they say. That is what we need to be - rolling on, moving on, pressing towards the Reign of God, without losing our focus. But when we lose focus and get stuck with attachments that are unnecessary - like ego, power and possession,  and ephemeral - like the pleasures of the moment, opinions of persons and the honour in the eyes of the others, we are certain to gather moss and slow down in our journey towards the Reign. 

There is the immeasurable love and mercy of God, exemplified by the steady, loving look that Jesus gave the young man, which surrounds us and sustains us. In spite of our weaknesses and our failures, we are loved and the Lord has the arms open wide, to welcome us into the Reign. Yes, as children of God entering the Reign is extremely simple: it is all set, and all that we need to do is keep moving, but let us beware, the necessary choices that we need to make at times are not so easy!